System and method of selecting freight forwarding companies

ABSTRACT

A system and method for selecting freight forwarding companies is provided wherein bids for shipping lanes and the like are received well in advance of a freight move. Bids are submitted on shipping lanes and other move associated transactions by pre-approved freight forwarding companies. This information is stored in a database. Selection of the freight forwarding company or companies occurs in connection with evaluating the bid information submitted and historical data stored on the database.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/819,813, filed on Apr. 7, 2004, which application claims thebenefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/502,487, filed Sep. 12, 2003, the entire disclosures of which arehereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically, relocation companies are hired by a company (hereafter, the“customer”) to help people, such as the customer's employees, relocateto a new home. In this regard, relocation companies typically help theperson (hereafter, the “transferee”) obtain a fair price for theircurrent home, find a new home, and move the transferee from their pointof origin to their point of destination.

Quality relocation companies aim to meet and exceed the expectations ofthe customers and transferees. For example, when it comes to the move,transferees expect good communication regarding the packing/deliverydates and times. They also expect that the mover will respect theirgoods, such as providing special care to fragile items, and avoidingdamage during packing/unpacking and transportation. Transferees alsowant the mover to meet their commitments throughout the move, includinghelping with customs requirements. In addition, transferees expect thatthe agents at both the origin and destination point will beprofessional. They also expect that the number of surveyors will belimited. Surveyors generally come to the house to determine theequipment and personnel that will be needed to effect the move.Surveyors also use the information to enable the freight forwardingcompany to provide an estimate for the cost of the move.

A relocation company often hires one or more freight forwardingcompanies to perform moves and needs companies that can meet theseexpectations while also meeting the customer's price requirements. Thus,the relocation company may hire a moving company, preferably aninternational moving company, to perform freight forwarding services.However, not all freight forwarding companies are the same, and this isparticularly so with respect to international shipments that cross acountry border (the US and Canadian border typically present lessdifficulties than other international shipments).

Some freight forwarding companies specialize in particular traffic lanesor channels where a traffic lane or channel includes at least ageographic region (e.g., collection of countries, particular country,collection of cities, a particular city, etc.) that includes the originof the move and at least a geographic region that includes thedestination of the move.

Other differences between freight forwarding companies relate topricing, because different freight forwarding companies charge differentprices. Freight forwarding companies typically charge based on a matrixof shipment types, storage requirements, other services and ratestructures. For example, in addition to having different prices fordifferent lanes, the companies may also differ with respect to whetherthey are charging based on weight, volume, flat fees or some othercriteria. Accordingly, the different prices and sometimes ratestructures often makes it difficult to select a freight forwardingcompany based on cost.

The quality of service also varies from freight forwarding company tocompany. A relocation company's past experience with particular freightforwarding companies should also be taken into account when selecting afreight forwarding companies, which further complicates the selectionprocess.

There is a need for a system which eases the difficulties andcomplexities associated with the selection of freight forwardingcompanies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a functional diagram of one aspect of a system andmethod of the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents a flow chart of a method in accordance with an aspectof the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the freight forwarding company approvalprocess.

FIG. 4 illustrates a computer screen display for showing lanes, in adrop down box, according to pairs of origin and destination cities.

FIG. 5 illustrates a computer screen display showing weight classesassociated with traffic lanes.

FIG. 6 illustrates a computer screen display listing the cost of puttinggoods into storage based on weight class and the cost of taking goodsout of storage based on weight class.

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer screen display showing accessorial rates.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a freight forwarding company biddingprocess according to one aspect of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a computer screen for use with the booking engine forentering performance feedback information.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating one aspect of a freight forwardingcompany selection process according to the invention.

Applicable reference numerals have been carried forward.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method of selecting a freight forwardingcompany.

According to one aspect of the invention, method of selecting a freightforwarding company is provided wherein bid information is received froma plurality of freight forwarding companies. The bid informationidentifies a traffic lane, a moving requirement, and a price rateassociated with the moving requirement. A move request is receivedassociated with a traffic lane. Additionally, a moving requirement and aquantity value associated with the moving requirement are received. Atleast one freight forwarding company is identified based on the freightforwarding company's bid information wherein the traffic lane and amoving requirement of the bid information relates to the traffic laneand a moving requirement of the move request. The method calculates acost for each of the identified freight forwarding companies dependanton the price rate and quantity value.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of selecting afreight forwarding company is provided wherein a freight forwardingcompany to participate as a provider of services. The freight forwardingcompany is subjected to an approval process. The freight forwardingcompany executes a contract for providing services and a database ofapproved freight forwarding companies under contract is provided.Traffic lanes for submission of bids by freight forwarding companiesunder contract; is provided by the method as well as a database oftraffic lane for bid by the freight forwarding companies. A freightforwarding company is selected using the database of traffic lane bids.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of conducting arelocation business is provided wherein an order is received from aclient for the transfer of property of a transferee. The transferee isconsulted and a move of the property is scheduled. Informationpertaining to the move is compiled an a database is accessed containingpreexisting information including traffic lane bid prices from thefreight forwarding companies. A freight forwarding company is selectedin conjunction with using the database.

According to another aspect of the invention, a freight forwardingcompany selection system is provided which includes a freight forwardingcompany approval procedure and a database including names of andinformation pertaining to approved freight forwarding companies. Thesystem also includes a freight forwarding company bid procedure and aprogram which provides a graphic user interface used in connection withviewing the database for use in selecting a freight forwarding companyin connection with ranking database information according to a searchcriteria.

In another aspect of the invention a freight forwarding companyselection system is provided which includes a freight forwarding companyapproval procedure and a database including names of and informationpertaining to approved freight forwarding companies. The system alsoincludes a freight forwarding company bid procedure wherein selection ofa freight forwarding company is based off of bid information stored inthe database for compilation in connection with a search for a freightforwarding company.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Among other things, the invention provides a system and method forsystemizing bid pricing of freight forwarding companies. For example,instead of forwarders bidding competitively on every shipment, thesystem and method compares previously submitted bids with a particularmove and uses the information to select a freight forwarding company.

An operation in accordance with one aspect of the invention will now bedescribed. The following process represents just one example of a methodin accordance with the invention, and other steps and orders ofoperation are possible. For the purposes of illustration, FIG. 1represents a functional diagram of one aspect of a system and method ofthe present invention as implemented on a system to include theinvention called Acadia™. FIG. 2 represents a flow chart of a method inaccordance with an aspect of the invention.

In operation, the relocation company first identifies and then approvesfreight forwarding companies to participate in the system. Typically,the approval process will include an on-site visit to the freightforwarding company to check its facilities and discuss the biddingprocess. The review process may also include performing backgroundchecks and the like. If a freight forwarding company is not rejected,the approval process is generally concluded with the execution of acontract between the relocation company and the freight forwardingcompany.

Once the freight forwarding company is approved by the relocationcompany, it is added to the list of qualified bidders.

Preferably, the list of qualified bidders is maintained in acomputerized database, hereafter referred to as the booking enginedatabase, and the database is maintained via the use of a computerprogram, hereafter referred to as the booking engine. However, theprocess may be implemented without a computerized database as well.

One manner in which the qualified freight forwarding company may beadded to the list of approved freight forwarding companies by therelocation company is by adding the freight forwarding company'sinformation, such as its name, address and other information, to thebooking engine database and indicating that the company is approved toenter bids. Other information relating to the contract may also be addedto the database. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the freight forwarding companyapproval process.

After the freight forwarding company is added to the list of approvedcompanies, the freight forwarding company will then bid on trafficlanes. Preferably, the list of traffic lanes will be pre-identified, andthe freight forwarding company is not obligated to bid on everypre-identified traffic lane. With respect to the traffic lanes that thefreight forwarding company does bid on, it is preferable for the freightforwarding company to bid on all of the potential requirements for amove within that lane. For example, as explained in more detail below,it may bid on how much it charges per pound for surface shipments, howmuch it charges per cubic foot for air shipments, how much it charges toput goods in storage, etc. Alternatively, the freight forwarding companymay bid on only some of the potential requirements for moves within thatlane.

The bid is preferably made by providing the freight forwarding companywith limited access to the booking engine database via the Internet andweb pages. The information for the web page is gathered by the bookingengine. In this regard, the freight forwarding company will log onto aweb site maintained at the direction of the relocation company anddevoted to accepting bids.

Once logged into the web site, the freight forwarding company may thenbrowse a web page containing a list of traffic lanes that are open forbid. As shown in FIG. 4, the lanes may be listed in a drop down boxcontaining pairs of origin and destination cites, such as the lanerepresenting shipments from Appleton, Wisc. to Dublin, Ireland.

After selecting a traffic lane, the freight forwarding company will thenbe presented with web-based controls for entering rate amounts. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5, the freight forwarding company will bepresented with a list of weight classes associated with that lane. Eachweight class represents a range of weight values, such as shipmentsranging from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. The freight forwarding company canthen enter the per-pound amount (“CWT” refers to net per 100 poundweight) that it will charge for transporting goods in that weight classfor that lane. The booking engine may perform immediate or post-bidvalidity checks on the entered data, such as ensuring that the pricedoes not exceed a certain range.

FIG. 5 illustrates additional options in connection with the biddingprocess. For example, the freight forwarding company may enter theexpected transit time as a range of days (as shown), weeks or some othertime frame. The freight forwarding company may also identify the periodof time over which the rates will be effective. The freight forwardingcompany may also indicate whether the rates are newly entered, unfrozen(meaning that the freight forwarding company is reserving the right tochange the rates during the effective date period) or expiring (meaningthat the prices will need to be updated).

As also shown in FIG. 5, the freight forwarding company preferablyindicates the manner in which the goods will be shipped. For example,all of rates in the example of FIG. 5 relates to surface shipments. Thefreight forwarding company can select among different surfacetransportation methods for the goods, such as “surface loose load (LL)”or “lift van (LV)”, and bid on each method.

Returning to FIG. 4 an exemplary screen is provided for bidding on movesthat require air shipments. The freight forwarding company selects aparticular lane and then bids on the cost of shipping goods by airwithin that lane. Rather than being broken down by weight classes, theair shipment rates are broken down by ranges of volumes, such as from 1to 22 cubic feet and 22 to 44 cubic feet. The dollar amount of the ratereflects how much the freight forwarding company is charging per cubicfoot for that lane.

In addition to the cost of shipping goods, transferees often requirethat their goods be stored for long periods. Accordingly, the freightforwarding companies may also be permitted to bid on the costs ofputting goods in permanent storage. As shown in FIG. 6, the freightforwarding company may select cities in which goods will potentially bestored and then the cost of putting the goods into storage based onweight class, the cost of taking the goods out of storage based onweight class, and the cost of storage based on weight and other flat feecharges. As with the shipment rates, the freight forwarding company canenter dates over which the rates are effective.

In addition to charging for shipment and storage, freight forwardingcompanies may also charge for particular services. These assessorialcharges may include services such as moving a grand piano or obtaining acrane to move items to upper floors. In this regard, the method andsystem of the present invention also allows the freight forwardingcompany to bid on accessorial charges. This information may be enteredvia the use of the Internet as shown in FIG. 7. Preferably, each bidrequest identifies acceptable accessorial charges (such as moving a“Piano-Grand”). The request also identifies acceptable rate structuresfor the charge, such as whether the price needs to be based on a flatfee, weight (CWT), volume (CF), the freight forwarding company's costplus a 10% surcharge, or some other unit of measure (UOM). As with theshipment and storage bids, the freight forwarding company may enter theeffective dates of rates. Preferably, the assessorial charges areconstrained to coincide with the effective dates of the freightforwarding company's shipment rates.

Preferably, the bidding process also requires that the freightforwarding company agree to abide by a variety of rules relating to therates. Exemplary rules are attached as Exhibit A; the rules are oftenparticular to the individual relocation company. The rules may beaccepted, reaffirmed and changed at numerous points in the process, suchas at contract signing and submission of new or changed rateinformation.

In one aspect of the invention, the bid is privacy protected, that is,no bidder can see another's bid. It is believed that a confidentialbidding process not only preserves the privacy desired by the freightforwarding companies but also promotes fair and competitive bidding.

As noted above, the bid is not made in connection with a particular movebut, rather, preferably reflects the freight forwarding company'sagreement to fulfill future moves meeting predefined criteria at pricesbased on predefined rate structures.

In one aspect of the invention, the freight forwarding company canindicate an interest in a geographic region without bidding on it. Forexample, the freight forwarding company may identify whether they arewilling or unwilling to provide services in a particular country. Inthis regard, a freight forwarding company may indicate that they arewilling to provide services to or from England without actually biddingon lanes that include English cities. At the same time, the freightforwarding company may indicate that they are not willing to provideservices to a particular geographic region. FIG. 8 is a flowchartillustrating a freight forwarding company bidding process according toone aspect of the invention. Note that this process can be implementedwithout a computer.

When a client of the relocation company wants assistance moving aparticular person, they will contact the relocation company. Aconsultant for the relocation company will then call the transferee. Theconsultant will perform a needs assessment and analysis based on thecustomer's policies, the transferee's needs and the particulars of themove.

Once the relocation company's consultant obtains the informationrelating to the transferee and the move, the consultant will notify oneof the relocation company's move specialists to book the move.

The specialist will then compile the relevant information pertaining tothe move, such as the origin, destination, one or more movingrequirements, and the quantity associated with each moving requirement.For example, the moving requirements may relate to the required type ortypes of shipments that will be necessary for the move, such as air,loose load surface shipments and lift van surface shipments. Otherrequirements may relate to storage and assessorial services. Thequantity may relate to weight, volume or some other criteria that isassociated with the moving requirement, such as how long the goods mustbe stored and whether a crane is required such as to remove a piano orother large object (e.g., no crane being considered a quantity of zerocranes). The specialist may also enter in other information, such as thedate that the goods need to be shipped. The specialist then compares thecompiled information with the bid information to select the best freightforwarding company for the move.

In one aspect of the invention, the specialist will use the bookingengine to search the booking engine database and rank the bids. Forexample, the specialist may enter a number of different search criteria,such as the origin, destination, weight, dates and other informationinto a computer. The computer then accesses the booking engine, which inturn queries the database for bids which match the criteria.

As shown in FIG. 9, the booking engine may provide the specialist withinformation on various forwarders, including how much each freightforwarding will charge. Specifically, the names of the freightforwarding companies are listed in the “Forwarder” column. The “Air”,“LL” and “LV” columns reflect a calculated value based on the price thatthe freight forwarding company has bid for the transportation mode andthe quantity of goods to be shipped via that transportation mode. Thesubtotal column reflects the total cost of the shipment. The “Perm Str”column similarly reflects a calculated value reflecting the freightforwarding company's charges for permanently storing the goods to bestored. The “Total” column reflects the shipment costs and permanentstorage costs. Optionally, the total may also include any assessorialcharges in the event assessorial services are required.

The invention may also provide the ability of storing informationrelating to the quality of services provided by the freight forwardingcompanies. The quality may be quantified based on subjective andobjective criteria.

For example, in the example of FIG. 9, the “Service Scores” columnsrepresent how the freight forwarding company performed based on feedbackforms completed by prior transferees. Based on a sliding scale where 1represents a poor ranking and 8 represents an excellent ranking, thepercentage represents the number of feedback forms having positiveratings (e.g., rankings from 5-8) divided by the total number ofreturned surveys. The scores are further broken down by how well thefreight forwarding company scored with respect to the destination andorigin cities particular to the move, the countries particular to themove, and all surveys. It is noted that while this information may besubjective with respective to the transferee's views, it is objectivewith respect to the relocation company because the relocation companymerely compiles the results.

The “Claims” column of FIG. 9 also quantifies quality based on priortransferee's claims for damages. In this regard, the “Frequency” columnrepresents a ratio of the number of times that claims have been madeversus the number of insured shipments performed by the freightforwarding company. The number of shipments in the Frequency column maybe limited to only shipments in the particular lane, all shipments inall lanes or shipments sharing an origin or destination with the currentmove. Moreover, each different transportation type in a move (e.g., air,surface loose load, surface lift van) may be considered a separateshipment. The “Severity” column represents the average amount of claimsthat have been awarded against the freight forwarding company, and maybe limited in a manner similar to or different from the frequencycolumn.

Based on the returned cost and quality information, the specialist canmake an informed choice of the best forwarder for a move. To aid thespecialist in its task, the specialist may rank the freight forwardingcompanies by different columns. Optionally, the bids may be ranked basedon a single, calculated value which takes the total cost and service asthe parameters.

If no vendor has bid on the selected channel, then the system mayoptionally use other information to suggest freight forwardingcompanies. For example, a list may be compiled of all of the companiesthat have indicated a willingness to provide services in the origin anddestination regions. These companies may then be contacted, eithermanually or by an automatic email from the booking engine, to enter bidson the lane.

After the relocation company selects the freight forwarding company, themove specialist will then notify the freight forwarding company of thedecision. The freight forwarding company, in turn, will call orotherwise contact the transferee and conduct a survey. The freightforwarding company will also work with the relocation company as well asthe transferee to coordinate and execute the move. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating one aspect of a freight forwarding company selectionprocess according to the invention. Note that this process can beimplemented without the use of a computer.

Once the move is completed, the freight forwarding company will send therelocation company an invoice and backup documentation, such as provingthat the move was completed and other information, to the relocationcompany. Before paying the invoice, the freight forwarding company ispreferably audited to ensure that it has complied with the rate rules,other contractual requirements and industry rules. It is also preferablyaudited for accuracy and completeness of the documentation. The cost ofthe move may be invoiced in two portions, one occurring after theshipment leaves the port and the other upon delivery.

Different aspects of present invention provide a number of differentadvantages. In one aspect, it promotes cost management, because itincreases control over costs and quality.

The bidding process also allows the relocation company to leverage theadvantage of using multiple competitive vendors. By asking vendors tobid in advance, rather than move-by-move, the vendors have an incentivenot to overcharge the relocation company because of the likelihood thatoverbidding will result in continuous non-selection.

Moreover, by quantifying quality, the relocation company can insure thatunder performers are not awarded moves. In addition, the specialist canuse the quality information to reflect the customer's needs. Forexample, one customer may accept somewhat lower quality, particularly ifit results in the price being lower. Another customer may require thehighest quality at any reasonable price.

The use of the system further allows the relocation company to manageits information more effectively.

Aspects of the system also provide advantages to the customers beyondprice. The system provides faster supplier selection because bids areentered in advance and the information necessary to award the move isalready in the system; it is no longer necessary to wait for bids tocome back on each individual move. Moreover, as noted above, theclients' priorities (i.e., quality or cost) can be taken into account inforwarder selection. The system also prevents transferees from having todeal with multiple surveyors because a single freight forwarding companyis selected based on pre-existing information. The system also providesthe customer with effective control, because the employee can evaluatethe mover's performance and this assessment will be entered into thesystem. As noted above, overall customer satisfaction can be tracked bycity, country and worldwide, so that future choices can be based on veryspecific performance metrics. Claims experience may also be stored inthe system.

The system also provides benefits to the freight forwarding companies.For example, it creates a fair playing field because it allows therelocation company to choose the forwarder entirely on the basis ofobjective factors, such as price and service performance, and not forany other reason. In this regard, forwarders will be motivated to playto their strengths, that is, offer the best prices in the lanes wherethey have the most volume and ability to offer high quality services.The system will also enable them to be strategic, focusing on lanes andweight ranges in areas where they want to grow. Even a smaller forwardercan bid on business that might be out of their usual scope, because aslong as their pricing and service are competitive, they are likely to beselected.

Indeed, since preferably all of the approved freight forwardingcompanies can bid on a lane, the process is more competitive than simplyconsulting two or three companies as typically occurs in prior artsystems. It is also less labor intensive for the freight forwarders thanthe old process, since multiple surveys are not required.

Another advantage to relocation company and freight forwarding companiesalike is that all of the companies are preferably required to bid inaccordance with the same set of rules. This provides a level playingfield for the freight forwarding companies and it minimizes surprisefees for the relocation company.

Another advantage of one aspect of the present invention is itsflexibility. For example, although the invention is preferablyimplemented automatically via a web-based application, it may also beimplemented manually. For example, communication may take place by voiceover phone rather than by network access, and the information need notbe stored in computer-implemented databases. It can also take placeusing faxed solicitations and bids.

The system, including the booking engine, may provide otheradministrative functions as well. For example, it may place a six-monthtime limit on rates such that rates are no longer considered valid ifthey have not been changed or confirmed within the last six months. Itmay also conduct routine post-payment audits of bills to track and trendcompliance with rates in the program.

Unless stated to the contrary, use of words such as “including,”“containing,” “such as,” “comprising” and the like, means “includingwithout limitation” and shall not be construed to limit any generalstatement that it follows to the specific or similar items or mattersimmediately following it. References to a “plurality” of things means atleast two of the things, and, unless stated to the contrary, referenceto “a” or “one” thing does exclude the possibility of using a pluralityof such things.

Most of the foregoing alternative embodiments are not mutuallyexclusive, but may be implemented in various combinations to achieveunique advantages. As these and other variations and combinations of thefeatures discussed above can be utilized without departing from theinvention as defined by the claims, the foregoing description of theembodiments should be taken by way of illustration rather than by way oflimitation of the invention as defined by the claims.

1. A method of identifying a bid of a freight forwarding companycomprising: receiving data representing a plurality of bids for storagein a computer database, where the data associates each bid with atraffic lane, a potential requirement for a move, a price rateassociated with the potential requirement for a move, and a freightforwarding company, at least two of the plurality of bids beingassociated with different freight forwarding companies, receiving from auser, after receiving the plurality of bids, search criteria relating toa move request, where the search criteria is associated with a trafficlane, a moving requirement and a quantity value associated with themoving requirement, querying, via a computer, the computer database withthe search criteria, identifying, with a computer and in response to thequery, a plurality of bids by comparing the traffic lane and thepotential requirement of the received bids with the traffic lane and themoving requirement of the move request, calculating a cost for each ofthe identified bids dependent on the price rate and quantity value, andproviding graphic images, for display on a computer screen, showing thebids and the calculated costs.
 2. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising displaying the identified bids on a computer screen.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the displayed bids are ranked based on thecalculated costs.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the data representinga plurality of bids is received via the Internet by providing a bidderwith access to a web page and displaying one or more traffic lanesavailable for bid.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the bidsfurther comprises receiving the bids meeting predefined criteria atprices based on predefined rate structures.
 6. A system of identifying abid of a freight forwarding company comprising: a computer databasestoring a plurality of bids, where the database associates each bid witha traffic lane, a potential requirement for a move, a price rateassociated with the potential requirement for a move, and a freightforwarding company, at least two of the plurality of bids beingassociated with different freight forwarding companies, an electronicscreen capable of displaying graphics, an electronic processing unit incommunication with the computer database and the screen so as to providegraphics to the screen in accordance with a computer program, theprogram comprising: receiving from a user, after receiving the pluralityof bids, search criteria relating to a move request, where the searchcriteria is associated with a traffic lane, a moving requirement and aquantity value associated with the moving requirement; querying thecomputer database with the search criteria; identifying a plurality ofbids by comparing the traffic lane and the potential requirement of thereceived bids with the traffic lane and the moving requirement of themove request; calculating a cost for each of the identified bidsdependent on the price rate and quantity value; and providing graphicimages to the computer screen showing the bids and the calculated costs.7. The system of claim 6 wherein the computer program further comprisesdisplaying the bids in a ranked order based on the calculated costs. 8.The system of claim 6 further comprising a computer in communicationwith the electronic processing unit via the Internet, wherein thecomputer displays a web page and one or more traffic lanes available forbid in accordance with the computer program.